Stop your Border Collie from chewing everything

Remember the first day that you bought your Border Collie home? He looked so meek and gentle, sat in one spot trying hard not to get noticed. He started to move, smelling everything around him, trying to get accustomed to his new home and surroundings. Cute wasn’t he?

Shock and horror, after a few hours you suddenly hear a massive ripping sound, and your beloved pet has turned your sofa in to a new chew toy. The real nature of your dog breaks free and he is all of a sudden, chewing everything in sight.

You need to realize that a Border Collie is an incredibly intelligent and energetic breed of dog. It loves to move around in wide, open spaces. It is a sheep dog after all! Without plenty of mental and physical stimulation, your new pet shall get bored and may become very destructive when it doesn’t have a task to fulfill.

Because your dog is a very intelligent dog, it is not a wise idea to hit or spank him. This will scare him and he will then be less likely to follow your commands. I’d like to give you some pointers on the correct way to ensure a dog doesn’t chew everything.

Firstly, remove everything around him that could be turned into a chew toy. Common sense falls into play here, if he can’t get to anything, he can’t chew it. By that, I do not mean tie him up in a small room and leave him with nothing, because confinement is not good for a Border Collie. What I mean, is take away the things that could be potentially dangerous like live wires, and also anything you value, like clothes, plants, rugs and such like. Once you have done this, try stimulating your Border Collie with chewable toys, preferably made of tough rubber that makes it impossible for your puppy to destroy. Do not give him toys that can easily be destroyed as they can be ingested and be potentially harmful to your pet.

If your dog does take a liking to your rug or slippers, say, in a stern voice, NO! When he chews on the toys you have provided for him, treat him and praise him and he will soon come to realize what is acceptable and what is unacceptable. When he is chewing something he is not meant to, take him to his toys, or replace the rug/mat/slippers/plant etc. with a toy that is designed for him to chew on. He will soon get the hint!

You have to understand that a Border Collie will chew when he is bored, or when the young puppy is teething. One thing about Border Collies is that they need to be constantly stimulated, so this chewing is a sign for you, give him something to do! Try taking him out for a walk and provide him with exercise, try tiring him out so he doesn’t have the energy to chew!

There is a particularly harsh way of stopping your Border Collie chewing everything, but it may be worth checking with your Vet if this is ok before hand, and that is to rub something along the lines of chili sauce on the areas that he persistently nibbles on. This will shock the dog and he will learn not to do it again!

Whichever you decide to do to stop your dog chewing everything, remember not to harm your dog by smacking him, this will frighten him and that is not the effect any dog owner would want to have on their dog. Eventually he will learn, it is just a case of you being patient!

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